Hey my readers I was supposed to post this chapter 5 weeks ago but there were slight problems that side-tracked me. Well please accept my apology and enjoy.

Disclaimer: Saltire dragon does not own Naruto.

Chapter 7

Naruto heard screams from within the temple that sounded like Sakura and he began to run faster. "Sakura!"

Naruto kept running but what he didn't know was that he was being stalked by something. Before he knew it he was pounced on from behind and was then pinned down. He looked up at what attacked him and saw a huge creature with black fur, claws and a large black snake head with red eyes. Naruto began to struggle free but didn't help him at all. He heard it snicker and then felt its fork tipped black tongue run across his cheek.

"Get off of me!" He shouted but it continued to snicker. Naruto looked up again and saw its jaw unhinging and wide opened, slowly lowering towards his face.

"I SAID GET OFF ME!" Naruto shouted again this time he released his arms free from it and then turned over to get the creature off him.

As he got up he ran and then turned around and saw that it was pouncing at him again. He let the creature pounce him but he curled his legs in and his feet up against the creature's stomach. With one push it hurled over him and over the edge of the mountain side. Naruto looked over the edge and saw it slowly descending down until it was out of sight.

'What the hell was that?' He thought. 'I can't think about that now I have to get to Gaara now!'

Naruto kept running down the mountain side until he arrived at the temple's front entrance only to see that the door was destroyed and the wood looked like it was clawed at. Naruto paid no attention to the destruction within the temple and was running into each and every room trying to find him.

'Where is Gaara? Then again where is everyone else?' Then it hit him. 'Wait that thing that attacked me and the mess around here… does that mean… they are dead? No, no that can't true they must've hid somewhere but where?'

Naruto ran down the last corridor he hasn't checked and then opened the door. The first thing that caught his eye was Gaara looking down at something in his arms. "Hey Gaar- what?" That thing Naruto took it for was actually Sakura sleeping soundly in Gaaar's arms.

"Naruto, I am glad to see you I almost thought you died." Gaara said as he gently lifted Sakura off him and laid her on the bedroll. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Naruto didn't know what to say. Sure he saw some spark between them but he didn't expect this, he thought that she still liked the teme. "So are you and Sakura an item now?" Naruto said awkwardly.

Gaara's eyes then became wide and started shaking his hands in front of himself. "What! No, no, no, no this is not what you think it is. You have got to believe me Naruto, we were attacked by a creature and I protected Sakura. I then killed it and she just wanted some comfort, that's all I swear!"

"Wait you were attacked by what now?" Naruto looked to his side and saw that the same creature or the same species that attacked him earlier was lying dead on the floor. "Jesus, did you kill that thing? I mean I had trouble getting it off of me and I am quite the toned man but you're a lanky, thin guy."

Gaara did not looked amused by this instead he glared at Naruto. "First of all Naruto I am older than you, second of we have already established that I am stronger than you and finally… well can we discuss it in private?"

Naruto's expression changed into one of concern for his friend. "Sure what is it Gaara?"

"Naruto, do you remember when I wandered off and you all found me unconscious?" Naruto nodded. "Well before I was unconscious there was a voice behind me that told me some things about-"

"Stop there Gaara, I know what you heard I had my fair share of being in the presence of a demon. We are both containers of them now aren't we?" Naruto said as he bowed his head in sadness.

"Not only that, but our lives in danger aswell. If you must know it was basic instinct that told me to kill that thing for the thrill of killing and not the protection of me and Sakura's life. If my demon can have control over my actions then the same goes for you, our friend's lives can be in danger because of us."

Naruto began to sweat what if the demon can control the way we felt then there is a chance we might hurt them. "How do you know so much about your demon?"

"This may be my first encounter with the Shukaku but have heard a lot of stories about it. A legend passed down from my ancestors, the stories were used to scare children. The Shukaku was depicted as many things the great god of the desert, the demon from hell that destroyed villages just for its pleasure, but if you were a Sabaku like myself then you would know that the demon was once an evil monk who transformed into a monster and my family trapped it into a tea kettle. But that's just a story; I don't know the full origins of it."

Naruto looked at him in amazement. He didn't know that his family had such a fantastic story and yet it's related to the demon that's inside Gaara. "Do you know what Kararuma is?"

Gaara looked at Naruto strangely. "Never heard of it, I take it that this Kararuma is your demon."

"Yeah but it's strange, it said something about my mother… I never knew my mother very well."

Gaara could sympathize with him. They both were there, that loneliness that lived without the love and care of their mothers. "Anyway, do you know where Temari and Kankuro are?"

Naruto shot his head up remembering he was also looking for Hinata and the others aswell. "No I was hoping that you knew where they were."

"Well they probably saw the creatures approach the temple and made refuge somewhere within here or left. The best place to look is the library there is a reinforced door that could be the best place to hide."

Naruto looked flabbergasted. "There is a library here!"

Gaara and Naruto walked toward the library door and looked at it. 'Door is closed, locked most likely and no sign of any blood or corpses.' Gaara thought and nodded his head at Naruto.

Naruto knocked on the door twice. "Hello…?" It was only two seconds before the door opened and out jumped a very happy Hinata.

"NARUTO!" Hinata gave Naruto a death hug and they both collapsed on the floor. "I was so worried I thought you died, don't ever wander off again, you almost gave me a hea-"

"Hinata don't worry I am fine." Naruto said and kissed her forehead before smiling brightly at her.

"Get a room you two." Gaara said before getting hugged from both sides by his siblings and his hair ruffled by Sasori.

"Gaara thank god you are alright." Temari said with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah bro don't scare us like that again." Kankuro said with his eyes shut tight and hugging Gaara with all his might.

"Hey Gaara!" Gaara looked at the blonde girl Ino. "Where is Sakura is she alright?"

"Yeah she is fine she is just resting." Gaara replied.

"Well then if this reunion is now done I would like to tell you both some vital information you must here about this island." Said Yahiko.

After the story which I told you in the other chapter

"Well that is interesting and you are saying we can use these jutsu's in order to fight back against those things?" Gaara said after all the information soaked in.

"Yes and we begin training at dawn."

Well there you have it the chapter that took only a month or two to write. Anyway I am once again sorry for the huge delay but I promise the next update will be in sooner at least this week. Damn exams. Pwease leave a review Pweaty pwease and Good bye… love you!